Architect Degw has rejected claims by English Heritage that Renzo Piano's London Bridge Tower would harm views of heritage sites.
At the public inquiry into the development, DEGW joint-founder John Worthington said the strategic views of St Paul's cathedral, from Parliament Hill and Kenwood, would be enhanced.

Worthington said: "The tower would not cause harm to St Paul's. It would take the eye away from the bulk of Guy's Hospital and provide a recognised object that would help us to position St Paul's, so it would enhance the skyline."

Worthington also denied that the tower would spoil views of the Tower of London. He said: "As you walk around, views of the Tower of London and of the modern world beside it are seen in a dynamic fashion, neither excluding the other. What's wrong with being able to see from one or two viewpoints both the Tower of London and a modern building that would be admired the world over?"

Worthington said that the tower would become a benchmark for mixed-use city intensification.

He said: "When we arrive in a city, the first thing we want to do is go somewhere high to get a view. The panorama from the tower would give us a sense of the city and help us understand the form of the Tower of London better."